Abstract
A workshop on Microbial Activities at Yucca Mountain (May 1995, Lafayette, CA) was held with the intention to compile information on all pertinent aspects of microbial activity for application to a potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The findings of this workshop set off a number of efforts intended to eventually incorporate the impacts of microbial behaviour into performance assessment models. One effort was to expand an existing modelling approach to include the distinctive characteristics of a repository at Yucca Mountain (e.g., unsaturated conditions and a significant thermal load). At the same time, a number of experimental studies were initiated as well as a compilation of relevant literature to more thoroughly study the physical, chemical and biological parameters that would affect microbial activity under Yucca Mountain-like conditions. This literature search (completed in 1996) is the subject of the present document. The collected literature can be divided into four categories, 1) abiotic factors, 2) community dynamics and in-situ considerations, 3) nutrient considerations and 4) transport of radionuclides. The complete bibliography (included in Appendix A) represents a considerable resource, but is too large to be discussed in one document. Therefore, the present report focuses on the first category, abiotic factors, and a discussion
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Citation Formats
Meike, A, and Stroes-Gascoyne, S.
Review of microbial responses to abiotic environmental factors in the context of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository.
Canada: N. p.,
2000.
Web.
Meike, A, & Stroes-Gascoyne, S.
Review of microbial responses to abiotic environmental factors in the context of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository.
Canada.
Meike, A, and Stroes-Gascoyne, S.
2000.
"Review of microbial responses to abiotic environmental factors in the context of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository."
Canada.
@misc{etde_20257476,
title = {Review of microbial responses to abiotic environmental factors in the context of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository}
author = {Meike, A, and Stroes-Gascoyne, S}
abstractNote = {A workshop on Microbial Activities at Yucca Mountain (May 1995, Lafayette, CA) was held with the intention to compile information on all pertinent aspects of microbial activity for application to a potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The findings of this workshop set off a number of efforts intended to eventually incorporate the impacts of microbial behaviour into performance assessment models. One effort was to expand an existing modelling approach to include the distinctive characteristics of a repository at Yucca Mountain (e.g., unsaturated conditions and a significant thermal load). At the same time, a number of experimental studies were initiated as well as a compilation of relevant literature to more thoroughly study the physical, chemical and biological parameters that would affect microbial activity under Yucca Mountain-like conditions. This literature search (completed in 1996) is the subject of the present document. The collected literature can be divided into four categories, 1) abiotic factors, 2) community dynamics and in-situ considerations, 3) nutrient considerations and 4) transport of radionuclides. The complete bibliography (included in Appendix A) represents a considerable resource, but is too large to be discussed in one document. Therefore, the present report focuses on the first category, abiotic factors, and a discussion of these factors in order to facilitate the development of a model for Yucca Mountain. The first part of the report (Chapters 1-3) is a review of general microbial states, phases and requirements for growth, conditions for 'normal growth' and other types of growth, survival strategies and cell death. It contains primarily well-established ideas in microbiology. Microbial capabilities for survival and adaptation to environmental changes are examined because a repository placed at Yucca Mountain would have two effects. First, the natural environment would be perturbed by the excavation and construction of the repository and second, that modified environment would then be perturbed by the radioactive waste itself during the lifetime of the repository (heat, redistribution of moisture and possibly radioactivity. Part Two (Chapters 4, 5 and 6) discusses the microbial capabilities established in part one, in a site specific framework that will help define the limits of expected microbial activity. The expected evolution of a potential repository at Yucca Mountain is reviewed as well as those factors identified to be potential issues to microbial activity (i.e., high temperatures, changes in pH, desiccation, salinity changes and radiation). Expectations for microbial activity, where possible in the context of explicit input to design decisions for the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository, are discussed. (author)}
place = {Canada}
year = {2000}
month = {Oct}
}
title = {Review of microbial responses to abiotic environmental factors in the context of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository}
author = {Meike, A, and Stroes-Gascoyne, S}
abstractNote = {A workshop on Microbial Activities at Yucca Mountain (May 1995, Lafayette, CA) was held with the intention to compile information on all pertinent aspects of microbial activity for application to a potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The findings of this workshop set off a number of efforts intended to eventually incorporate the impacts of microbial behaviour into performance assessment models. One effort was to expand an existing modelling approach to include the distinctive characteristics of a repository at Yucca Mountain (e.g., unsaturated conditions and a significant thermal load). At the same time, a number of experimental studies were initiated as well as a compilation of relevant literature to more thoroughly study the physical, chemical and biological parameters that would affect microbial activity under Yucca Mountain-like conditions. This literature search (completed in 1996) is the subject of the present document. The collected literature can be divided into four categories, 1) abiotic factors, 2) community dynamics and in-situ considerations, 3) nutrient considerations and 4) transport of radionuclides. The complete bibliography (included in Appendix A) represents a considerable resource, but is too large to be discussed in one document. Therefore, the present report focuses on the first category, abiotic factors, and a discussion of these factors in order to facilitate the development of a model for Yucca Mountain. The first part of the report (Chapters 1-3) is a review of general microbial states, phases and requirements for growth, conditions for 'normal growth' and other types of growth, survival strategies and cell death. It contains primarily well-established ideas in microbiology. Microbial capabilities for survival and adaptation to environmental changes are examined because a repository placed at Yucca Mountain would have two effects. First, the natural environment would be perturbed by the excavation and construction of the repository and second, that modified environment would then be perturbed by the radioactive waste itself during the lifetime of the repository (heat, redistribution of moisture and possibly radioactivity. Part Two (Chapters 4, 5 and 6) discusses the microbial capabilities established in part one, in a site specific framework that will help define the limits of expected microbial activity. The expected evolution of a potential repository at Yucca Mountain is reviewed as well as those factors identified to be potential issues to microbial activity (i.e., high temperatures, changes in pH, desiccation, salinity changes and radiation). Expectations for microbial activity, where possible in the context of explicit input to design decisions for the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository, are discussed. (author)}
place = {Canada}
year = {2000}
month = {Oct}
}